Authors

Poster Number

Document Type

Poster

Status

Graduate Student - Masters

Abstract Category

Health Policy and Management

Keywords

pharmaceutical marketing, health policy, healthcare cost, diabetes

Publication Date

4-2017

Abstract

Background: Growth in pharmaceutical expenditures for diabetes outpaced growth in diabetes prevalence. Prescribers accepting gifts and meals from pharmaceutical companies have been linked with higher prescription rates and costs[1]. Pharmaceutical marketing to these prescribers and patients often promotes newer, more expensive drugs, such as the GLP-1 analogues and SGL-2 inhibitors. These two drug classes are more expensive but no more effective than metformin,[2] the recommended first-line treatment for diabetes, and the oldest and cheapest available treatment. We investigated how cost of diabetes treatment was affected by marketing practices in the District of Columbia.

Methods: The AccessRx program in DC requires pharmaceutical companies to report gifts given to healthcare providers, drug advertising expenses, and the salaries for staff engaged in promotional activities (“detailing expenses”). We combined data from AccessRx and the federal Open Payments system to estimate promotional payments. We used Medicaid drug utilization data to examine spending for diabetes treatment.

Results: In 2014, DC Medicaid spent more than $17.1 million on pharmaceutical treatments for diabetes. We estimated that ten companies spent $3.8 million in detailing expenses to market diabetes drugs in 2014. SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 analogues had the highest estimated detailing expenses, each totaling more than $1.2 million. From 2014 to 2015, DC Medicaid spending for Victoza (liraglutide), a GLP-1 analogue, increased 51% (from $183,873 to $362,230) and Invokana (canaglifozin), a SGLT-2 inhibitor, increased 213% (from $8,933 to $27,958).

Conclusions: Pharmaceutical promotion drives unnecessary use of newer, more expensive medications. The District of Columbia should provide education on rational prescribing for diabetes treatment (including diet and exercise).

Downloads

Included in

Share

COinS

Promotion of New Diabetes Products in the District of Columbia

Background: Growth in pharmaceutical expenditures for diabetes outpaced growth in diabetes prevalence. Prescribers accepting gifts and meals from pharmaceutical companies have been linked with higher prescription rates and costs[1]. Pharmaceutical marketing to these prescribers and patients often promotes newer, more expensive drugs, such as the GLP-1 analogues and SGL-2 inhibitors. These two drug classes are more expensive but no more effective than metformin,[2] the recommended first-line treatment for diabetes, and the oldest and cheapest available treatment. We investigated how cost of diabetes treatment was affected by marketing practices in the District of Columbia.

Methods: The AccessRx program in DC requires pharmaceutical companies to report gifts given to healthcare providers, drug advertising expenses, and the salaries for staff engaged in promotional activities (“detailing expenses”). We combined data from AccessRx and the federal Open Payments system to estimate promotional payments. We used Medicaid drug utilization data to examine spending for diabetes treatment.

Results: In 2014, DC Medicaid spent more than $17.1 million on pharmaceutical treatments for diabetes. We estimated that ten companies spent $3.8 million in detailing expenses to market diabetes drugs in 2014. SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 analogues had the highest estimated detailing expenses, each totaling more than $1.2 million. From 2014 to 2015, DC Medicaid spending for Victoza (liraglutide), a GLP-1 analogue, increased 51% (from $183,873 to $362,230) and Invokana (canaglifozin), a SGLT-2 inhibitor, increased 213% (from $8,933 to $27,958).

Conclusions: Pharmaceutical promotion drives unnecessary use of newer, more expensive medications. The District of Columbia should provide education on rational prescribing for diabetes treatment (including diet and exercise).

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.